What is meant by hydrophobic and hydrophilic?

You have to learn the meaning of the words.

One of the best things for you to learn is the meaning of the words. You have to break them apart and put them back together. This was one thing that paid off the best.

Hydro- means water. -phob- means fear, -phil- means to love. The suffix -ic means to pertain to. This is an idea that deals with those things that fear water for some reason.

So hydrophobic means pertaining to fear water. And hydrophilic means pertaining to love water. This is an idea that deals with those things that love water for some reason.